RIYADH — Saudi government agencies incorporated more than 500 public comments and proposals submitted through the Istitlaa public consultation platform into draft regulations during the first half of 2026, resulting in changes that included reducing some fines and fees.The platform, operated by the Saudi Center for Competitiveness and Business (SCCB), enables the public and the government and private sectors to provide feedback on draft laws and regulations related to economic and development affairs before they are approved.During the first half of 2026, 54 government entities published 209 economic and development-related draft regulations for consultation through the platform, receiving 8,475 comments. The platform recorded around 1.6 million visits during the same period.Government agencies adopted more than 500 of the submissions and subsequently amended their draft regulations.The changes included addressing overlaps and duplication in certain provisions, removing or modifying regulatory requirements, reducing some fines and fees, and adjusting the scope of application of certain provisions and activities.Some articles, obligations and implementation periods were also removed or reformulated to improve the quality of regulations and make them more suitable for implementation and the needs of targeted sectors.The center said the consultation process helps strengthen governance and the effectiveness of Saudi Arabia’s legislative and regulatory environment, factors that were highlighted positively in the executive survey of the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook.Since its launch in 2020, Istitlaa has hosted 2,279 draft projects and received 81,000 comments. More than 230,000 accounts have been registered on the platform, which has recorded over 17.6 million visits.The platform is designed not only to make draft regulations available for public consultation but also to strengthen communication between government agencies and stakeholders and increase transparency in the regulatory development process.It also allows participants to follow the results of consultations and decisions made in response to feedback after consultation periods end.The SCCB works to improve Saudi Arabia’s competitiveness, simplify procedures for starting and operating businesses and enhance the attractiveness of the Kingdom’s business environment.Through its branches and the Saudi Business Center platform, it provides more than 4,800 services in integration with 80 government entities involved in the business sector.
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